Flowing not Following
Using creativity over consumption
Last Minute Cancellation Place
Romania May 2- May 8 2026
Sadly one of clients has had to withdraw at the last minute due to an injury so I have one space open on this inspiring photography experience in rural Romania
Alternatively you can email me paul@discoverstill.com
Image and Word photography workshop
Hartland Quay, North Devon
One Place Remaining
13-16 October 2026
Hartland Quay has been a constant location for our Image and Word book making workshops. This dramatic piece of the north Devon coast will not fail to inspire photographers of all levels. The dramatic jagged rocks to the rolling hills of the South West Coast Path, not to mention the waterfalls are all incredible subjects but let us not ignore the lichen, mosses, weathered fences and geology that make this place a must visit for photographers and artists. We hope you can join us!
The Image and Word workshops are a wonderful blend of photography and bookmaking, each client leaves with a their own hand-made book of their work. The experience is enhanced by having only six clients with three leaders, Adrian Beasley and Paul Sanders looking after the photographic needs, together with Clea Beasley’s exceptional talent as a creative bookbinder.
You will leave feeling inspired, having embraced and learned new skills, with a beautiful handmade book of your time with us
Barbed wire and rain, Iona. I’m often struck by the way nature softens the harshness of human boundaries, be it ferns and ivy growing over a wall, the grasses coming up between paving slabs or in this case the way rain water softens the tip of the barbed wire. These little moments bring a great deal of joy to me, especially in the busyness and noise of the world.
Hi,
How are you? The sun is shining down here in Cornwall, as I write this I am listening to the huge number of birds that are busy making nests around our home. There is something wonderful about turning of the devices and just sitting with a cup of tea listening to the busyness of nature. Often I will open the Merlin Bird ID app on my phone and let it record the birdsong, I never knew we had so many native wild birds!
Why am I saying this in a message that is meant to be about photography? Simply because the world is quite overwhelming at the moment, the conflict in Iran and rising prices, especially the cost of fuel all push us into anxiety.
When you start to feel anxious, nervous, on edge, overwhelmed this is your body saying you need to take action to let off the tension, to bring yourself back in to regulation. Some people do this by going for a run or meditating but you can get exactly the same sense of calming down through intentionally doing something creative.
Writing, drawing, dancing, painting and photography can all serve your nervous system and bring about a sense of calm.
The joy of just making pictures takes your mind away from the crisis and brings it into a state of flow, awareness and presence - it is very powerful.
Have you ever noticed the way time seems to disappear when you are out making pictures, how all you can think about is what is in front of your lens? This is flow state.
A flow state, often called "being in the zone," is an optimal state of consciousness where you feel and perform at your best, characterized by deep immersion, intense focus, and effortless engagement in an activity. The concept of flow state was popularised by positive psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura a feeling where, under the right conditions, you become fully immersed in whatever you are doing.
Photography isn’t a creative practice that you save for the best of locations or subjects - the the china that only comes out when you have guests - it is for the everyday practice of noticing and observing every aspect of your life.
In making time for yourself to practice something you love everyday, you are also not consuming, you are creating. Consumption sucks the energy out of you, making you feel inadequate, not enough, whereas creativity is a positive act that energises and offers challenges.
The key is to give yourself permission and make time to take part for yourself. To do this I give myself mini assignments in the form of prompts, these offer a two fold benefit to my work as a photographer, firstly they switch me off from the drama of the world and secondly they teach me to see, to pay attention and notice the simple beauty in the everyday.
The next time you hear yourself complaining, or feel overwhelmed by the mess and noise of the world pick up your camera or phone and use the prompts I have given you below as a starting point for your rebellious act of creating something beautiful.
Thank you for your time today
Best wishes
Paul
Below I have given you a small assignment to join in with if you wish - if you do use the assignment when you decide to share the images on Instagram please tag me (@discover_still) and I will share your images with my community.
A Small Assignment: The Treasure Hunt
This week, I invite you to practice the art of awareness through photography by joining in with this visual treasure hunt. Visual treasure hunts are great fun and really train you to notice - you don’t need to photograph extraordinary things, just find ordinary things and by noticing them they become extraordinary!
Five shades of yellow but in black and white! There is so much yellow around at the moment, can you find five shades of this wonderful colour but show the difference in tone by turning them black and white.
A rainbow or spectrum of light. As simple as that, but elusively difficult, can you notice the rainbow of light that splits through a rainstorm, through the edge of window or even through glass ornaments.
Something twisted. This opens up a world of opportunity, look for subjects that are entwined or wrapped around you will be surprised how many of these you will find.
Nature’s caress. Look for the way a leaf wraps around a new bud, or two stems rub together, even a plant or weed holds onto a wall.
The view from my bedroom window. Very simple, but photograph the view over the next week, different times of day will reveal different lighting and mood, you can include things that are the window sill too.
Still: A Mindful Practice for Photographers
My first book “Still - a mindful practice for photographers” has been on sale for a couple of weeks now and is listed as a bestseller on Amazon - which I still can’t believe. The feedback has been incredible, I am so grateful to everyone who has ordered a copy. If you don’t have a copy yet it is on sale in most good bookshops and via numerous online book retailers too.
“More than a photography book, Still is a must-have guide for anyone seeking calm and clarity in their creative life.”